BRIDGEPORT, W.Va. – West Virginia Wesleyan Women’s Basketball has been selected 11th in the 2018-19 MEC Women’s Basketball Preseason Poll. Glenville State has been picked by the coaches to repeat as conference champions.
The Pioneers finished atop the poll with 110 points and six first-place votes. Glenville State, led by third-year head coach Kim Stephens, went 31-2 and became the first basketball program to go 22-0 in the MEC a season ago. The Pioneers lose two-time MEC Player of the Year Paris McLeod, but does return five players including Emily Stoller (10.1 ppg), Courtney Davis (9.0 ppg, 8.3 rpg) and Abby Stoller (4.9 ppg, 5.0 rpg).
Notre Dame was narrowly picked to finish second with 109 points and had one first-place vote. NDC returns a pair of all-conference honorees in their backcourt with first-team selection Seina Adachi (16.1 ppg) and second-team honoree Marisa Finazzo (11.3 ppg, 3.9 apg). Fairmont State, who also returns a strong backcourt in last year’s Freshman of the Year Sierra Kotchman (18.4 ppg) and Brooke Kurucz (14.0 ppg), was picked third with 98 points and three-first place votes.
All-American Marissa Brown and her 24 points and 11 rebounds will lead a West Liberty team that was picked to finish fourth in the poll with 92 points (one first-place vote). West Virginia State, picked to finish fifth with 79 points, welcomes back three starters from a team that went 13-9 in league play. Charleston, with first-year head coach Becky Burke and four starters back, is picked sixth with 72 points, including one first-place vote.
Concord and its formidable frontcourt duo of Riley Fitzwater (13.9 ppg) and Madison May (11.8 rpg) was picked seventh with 62 points. Urbana was slotted eighth (48), followed by Wheeling Jesuit (43), Shepherd (40), West Virginia Wesleyan (20) and UVa-Wise (19).
Courtesy of Adam Zundell – Senior Associate Commissioner for Communications Mountain East Conference
2018-19 Mountain East Conference
Women’s Basketball Preseason Poll
Rk. Team Points
1. Glenville State (6) 110
2. Notre Dame (1) 109
3. Fairmont State (3) 98
4. West Liberty (1) 92
5. West Virginia State 79
6. Charleston (1) 72
7. Concord 62
8. Urbana 48
9. Wheeling Jesuit 43
10. Shepherd 40
11. West Virginia Wesleyan 20
12. UVa-Wise 19
() denotes first-place votes
